Dispenser apparatus for liquid petroleum products



July 28, 1959 DISPENSER Filed Oct. 25. 1956 C. D. ERICKSON APPARATUS FOR LIQUID PETROLEUM PRODUCTS 2 Sheets-Shet l CfgARLE@ D. ERlcxsoN B July 28, 1959 c. D. ERICKSON 2,895,659

DISPENSER APPARATUS FOR LIQUID PETROLEUM PRODUCTS Filed Oct. 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DISPENSER APPARATUS FOR LIQUID PETROLEUM PRODUCTS Charles D. Erickson, Arcadia, Calif., assignor to A. O. t Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of New York Application October 25, 1956, Serial No. 618,318 7 claims. (ci. 1er-355.21)

This invention relates to a dispenser apparatus for liquid petroleum products.

The dispenser apparatus of this invention is suspended in spaced relation above ground level and includes a dispenser unit and a housing for receiving the major portion of a flexible dispensing hose, the inner end of which is secured to a fixed conduit connected to a source of liquid. A reeling mechanism for the hose is provided within the housing `and includes a movable grooved pulley sheave around which the hose extends and which is normally retained in a hose retracted position by yielding means with the hose extending in a hose supporting trough located beneath the sheave. The pulley sheave is moved within the housing against the pressure of the yielding means when the hose is pulled to an extended position. Upon releasing the hose the pressure of the yielding means pulls the pulley sheave to its initialV position to retract the hose into the housing.

Latching means may be provided to maintain the hose in any desired extended position. Where latching means is employed upon release of the latching means pressure exerted by the yielding means returns the sheave to its initial position to retract the hose. vAs the pulley sheave Irotates to its initial position the hose is redeposited in the supporting trough. p

The drawings furnished herewith illustrate the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently contemplated and set forth hereinafter.

In the drawings: p p p Figure l is `a perspective View of the dispenser apparatus with parts broken away to show the hose reeling mechanism of the invention with Ithe hose in the fully retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe hose reeling mechanism showing the hose in an extended position; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing the hose reeling mechanism of the invention with the hose in an extended position.

`Referring to the drawings, there is shown a gasoline dispenser unit 1 of the type which is suspended above ground level at a convenient height for the service station operator. The dispenser unit 1 includes a frame 2 at the upper end thereof which is adapted to be secured to an overhead structural member, not shown, as may be provided upon a service station island.

The frame 2 is enclosed by a suitable elongated housing 3 which also serves to enclose the reeling mechanism 4 for a flexible dispensing hose 5;

According to the invention, the reelingmechanism for hose 5 includes a horizontal track 6 which is formed by a pair of `spaced channel members 7 and 8 which are disposed in ilange facing relation and secured to the frame 2 by means of welds 9.

A carriage 10 is disposed on track 6 and is provided with spaced wheels 11 which are adapted to roll along the track. The carriage 10 rotatably supports a pulley sheave 13 in the vertical position between the members atent O M A2,896,659 Patented July 28, 1959 ice 7 and 8. The sheave 13 is provided with a grooved periphery 14 for receiving the bight of the iiexible hose 5 as shown in the drawings.

A torsion spring 15 is disposed around pin 16 secured between 4brackets 17 and 18 which are mounted on the frame 2. 'I'he spring 15 exerts a force on carriage 10 through cable 19 to normally maintain the carriage in the hose retracted position. The spring 15 is provided with a rotatable windup or cable retrieving drum 20 upon which one end of cable 19 is wound. The other end of cable 19 extends around the horizontally disposed pulley 21 disposed on a bracket 22 which is secured to the end of carriage 10. As the carriage 10 is moved from the hose retracted position, cable 19 unwinds from the retrieving drum 20 causing the drum to rotate and to impose an increasing tension on the torsion spring 15. This tension in the spring 15 is relied upon to` rewind the cable 19 onto the drum 20 and return the carriage to the hose retracted position. With the carriage 1l) in the retracted position the spring tension should be adequate to maintain cable 19 in a taut condition so that the cable cannot interfere with the operation of the remainder of the reeling mechanism.

Spaced hose guide brackets 23 and 24 are provided at the end of track 6 opposite cable holding bracket 22.

` The brackets 23 and 24 rotatably support a pair of horizontally disposed rollers 25 and 26 which extend transversely to the direction of carriage travel on the track 6. Rollers 25 and 26 are mounted between the brackets in decreasing stepped relation so that the hose 5 bearing thereon is made to bend over an enlarged radius from a horizontal to a vertical direction. A third roller 27 is mounted between brackets 23 and 24 above the hose 5 to prevent dislodgment lof the hose from between the guide brackets. In order to prevent travel of carriage 10 olf the end of trackV 6, a stop 2S for engagement by carriage 10 is provided at the end of track 6 between brackets 23 and 24.

A hose supporting trough 29 is secured to cross members adjacent the lower end of the frame 2 parallel to track 6 and beneath the path of pulley sheave 13 as the latter moves with carriage 10. The trough 29 may be an inverted` angle-iron structure and extends substantially at a tangent to the hose portions disposed in the grooved periphery 14 of sheave 13. The length of thetrough 29 corresponds substantially to the travel of carriage 10 on track 6.

The fuel delivery pipe 30 is connected. at one end to Va source of fuel, not shown, and extends through the dispenser unit 1 and is xedly secured at the other end thereof within the end of trough 29 opposite from the retracted position of carriage 10. The coupling fitting 31 is provided on the trough end of line 30 for engaging one end fof the flexible hose 5. From the dispensing end of line 30 the exible hose 5 extends horizontally along the trough 29 and around the grooved pulley sheave 13 and then the upper reach of the hose doubles back over rollers 25 and 26 and under roller 27 supported by brackets 23 and 24. Beyond the series of guide rollers 25, 26 and 27, the hose 5 extends downwardly and out of the housing 3 and terminates in a dispensing nozzle 32.

To guide the hose 5 onto the pulley sheave 13 when the hose is being retracted, guide brackets 33 and 34 are mounted on carriage 10 to each side of pulley sheave 13. Brackets 33 and 34 are spaced from pulley sheave 13 so as not to interfere with the rotation of the sheave and extend upwardly beyond the upper reach of the hose 5 and to a position forwardly of the carriage 10 andsheave 13 as the same are moved to the extended position of the hose. A grooved roller 35 is journaled 1 in brackets 33 and 34 above the upper reach of hose 5` and maintains the hose portion approaching the sheave 13 and unwinding from the sheave at 'a position tangent e to the sheave. In the retracted position of hose the upper reach will normally hang limp between sheave 13 and the series of guide rollers 25, 26 and 27. Not only will lguide brackets 33 and. 34 and roller 35 guide the hose 5 onto sheave 13, but itV will also prevent the hose being whipped from the pulley sheave 13 as the same is initially pulled taut when the hose is extended from the housing.

At the location where the hose 5 emerges vertically from the housing 3, roller guide means is provided so that the end of the hose outside of the housing may be pulled in any direction to effect extension of the hose. The guide means is supported by bracket 36 which ex-Y tends outwardly from frame 2 substantially parallel to track 6 and comprises opposed pairs of rollers 37 and 38 rotatably supported on bracket 36 to receive the hose 5 therebetween and provide a universal outlet from which the hose can be pulled in any direction. Rollers Y 37 and 38 are substantially vertical in line with the rollers mounted in brackets 23 and 24.

The exiblehose 5 is normally maintained in the retracted position within housing 3 with only a portion of the hose extending outside of the housing. In the retracted position the carriage carrying the hose supporting pulley sheave 13 is maintained against stop 12 at the end of track 6 by the tension of torsion spring acting through cable 19.

When dispensing liquid the ilexible hose 5 is ordi. narily extended by the operator. In response to the pull of the operator, the hose 5 issues from the housing 3 passing through the guide rolls supported by brackets 23, 24 and 36. After the upper reach of the hose 5 is pulled taut, sheave 13 will rotate within its carriage mounting to pick up additional increments of hose from trough 29 as carriage 10 moves along the track 6 away from stop 12. As the extending hose moves carriage 10 along track 6 away from stop 12, cable 19 secured to the carriage rotates the cable drum to tighten or windup spring 15. The carriage 10 is adapted to move over the full length of track 6 to engage stop 28 at the end of the track opposite from stop 12 to place the hose in the fully extended position.

Upon releasing the hose 5, the reeling mechanism of the invention returns the .hose to its retracted position within the housing. The tension imposed on spring 15 when extending the hose 5 serves to pull carriage 10 through cable 19 back to its retracted position against n stop 12,. As carriage 10 moves back to the hose retracted position pulley sheave 13 rotates in the opposite direction to guide and relay increments lof hose 5 into trough 29.

Because it will not always be necessary to pull the -hose 5 to its fully extended condition, it is generally desirable to provide means for maintaining the hose at a desired partially extended condition while the dispenser is in service. The reeling mechanism may be designed so that the static friction of the moving parts at rest is able to overcome the force exerted by spring 15. If this manner of maintaining the hose 5 in a partially extended position is employed, there will be an infinite number of positions between the opposed carriage stops 12 and 28 on track 6. This method will require that hose 5 be given an assist or push into the housing to remove a portion of the holding static friction so that the force of spring 15 may retract the hose.

However, according to the drawings a positive latching mechanism is employed to maintain the hose 5 in a pivotally extended condition. The latching mechanism generally comprises a plurality of spaced cams 39 provided on the track 6 and a pawl 40 pivotally mounted on the carriage to engage the cams 39. The cams 39 are provided on theY underside of track 6 and include a rounded portion 41 and an adjacent notch 42 with the notch disposed in the direction of stop 12gon track 6 l with respect to rounded portion 41. Carriage 10 is provided with a downwardly extending bracket 43 which pivotally supports a pawl lever 40 -beneath the track 6 in alignment with cams 39. The pawl lever 40 is weighted at end 44 so that it will generally remain in a pivoted position placing pawl 40 in contact with the underside of track 6. As the carriage 10 moves along track 6 as hose 5 is being extended pawl 40 merely rides over the cams 39. When the desired hose extension is reached, spring 15 is permitted to slowly retract the carriage until the pawl 40 engages or catches in the next adjacent pawl notch 42. To retract hose 5 into the housing, the

hose is pulled to move carriage 10 and disengage the y pawl 40 from notch 42. The spring 15 is then permitted to pull the carriage to the retracted position at a considerable speed. As the carriage'moves to the retracted position at a relatively fast speed, the rounded portion 41 of cam 39 deilects pawl 40 and causes the pawl to skip over the pawl notch 42,. With positive latching to maintain the hose at a desired partial extension the spring 15 must exert a somewhat greater force than is necessary to overcome the static friction of the reel-` ing mechanism at rest.

The invention provides an effective and reliable reeling mechanism which may be disposed in a horizontal position. It is, therefore, well adapted for a gasoline dispenser which is suspended from above at a convenient height above ground level.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are con-` templated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a frame, a horizontally extending trough secured to the frame, a delivery pipe for the liquid being dispensed extending through the dispensing apparatus to a location adjacent to one end of the trough, a flexible dispensing hose coupled to the delivery pipe and extending in a horizontally opening loop within the frame and outwardly from the frame with the lower reach of the hose being disposed in the trough, said hose being extendable in response to a pulling force with the loop moving generally parallel with respect to said trough lto pick up succeeding increments of lthe hose from the trough, and means carried by the frame and exerting a force on the hose in opposition to said pulling force to rettun the hose to a retracted position upon removal of the pulling force and to maintain the hose in the retracted position.

V2. Apparatus for dispensing liquid petroleum products, comprising a frame, support means connected to the frame for supporting the frame in spaced relation to ground level, a housing disposed around said frame and having an opening adjacent one end thereof, a trough secured to the frame and extending horizontally within the housing, delivery pipe for the liquid petroleum products being dispensed extending through the dispensing apparatus to a location adjacent the en-d of the trough nearestA the housing opening, a exible dispensing hose coupled to the delivery pipe and extending within the housing and outwardly through the opening in said hous` ing, the portion of the hose within the housing being disposed in a loop lwith the lower reach of the hose being disposed in the trough, said hose being extendable in response to a pulling force with the loop moving .generally parallel to the trough to pick up succeeding increments of hose yfrom the trough, and spring means carried by the frame and exerting a force on the hose in opposition to said pulling force to return the hose to a retracted position upon removal of the pulling force and to main# tain the hose in the retracted position.

3. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a frame, a housing disposed around said frame and having an opening adjacent one end thereof, a trough secured to the frame and extending horizontally within the housing, a delivery pipe for the liquid being dispensed extending through the dispensing apparatus and terminating adjacent the end of the trough nearest the housing opening, a flexible dispensing hose coupled to the delivery pipe and extending Within the housing and through the opening in said housing, the portion of the hose Within the housing being disposed in a loop with the lower reach of the hose being supported in the trough, movable carriage means disposed between the upper and lower reaches of the hose and being adapted to move parallel to the trough, a pulley sheave rotatably mounted on said carriage means and receiving the bight of the hose loop with the radius of the pulley sheave corresponding generally to that of the hose loop to establish frictional contact therebetween, and spring means exerting a force on the carriage means and pulley sheave to normally maintain the hose in a retracted position within the housing, said carriage means moving against the force of said spring means when the hose is pulled to an extended position with the sheave rotating to pick up succeeding increments of the hose from the trough.

4. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a frame, a housing disposed around said frame and having an opening adjacent one end thereof, a trough secured to the frame and extending horizontally within the housing, a delivery pipe for the liquid being dispensed extending through the dispensing apparatus and terminating adjacent the end of the trough nearest the housing opening, a flexible hose coupled to the delivery pipe and extending within the housing and out through the opening in said housing, the portion of the hose Within the housing being disposed in a loop with the lower reach of the hose being disposed in the trough, a track supported by the frame between the upper and lower reaches of the hose and parallel to the trough, a movable carriage disposed for movement on said track, a pulley sheave rotatably mounted to the movable carriage and disposed in the bight of the hose loop with the radius of the pulley sheave corresponding generally to that of the loop to place the sheave in frictional contact with the hose, and spring means exerting a force' on the movable carriage and pulley sheave to normally maintain the hose in a vretracted position `Within the housing, said movable carriage moving against the force of said spring means when the hose is pulled to an extended position with the sheave rotating to pick up succeeding increments of the hose from the trough.

5. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a frame, a housing disposed around said frame and having an opening adjacent one end thereof, a trough secured to the frame and extending horizontally within the |housing, a delivery pipe for the liquid being dispensed extending through the dispensing apparatus and terminating adjacent the end of the trough nearest the housing opening, a flexible dispensing hose coupled to the delivery pipe and extending within the housing and out through the opening in said housing, the portion of the hose within the housing being disposed in a loop with the lower reach of the hose being supported in the trough, a track supported by the frame between the upper and lower reaches of the hose and parallel to the trough, a movable carriage disposed for movement on said track, a pulley sheave rotatably mounted on the movable carriage and disposed in the bight of the Ihose loop with the radius of the pulley sheave corresponding generally to that of the loop to place the sheave in frictional contact with the hose, a retrieving drum rotatably carried by the frame, torsion means connected to the drum and being adapted to ro tate the drum, and cable means interconnecting the carriage and the drum, said torsion means exerting a force on said drum to wind up the cable and thereby retract the hose and normally maintaining the carriage and pulley sheave and hose in a retracted position within the housing, said carriage moving along the track against the force of said torsion means when the hose is pulled to an extended position with the sheave rotating to pick up succeeding increments of the hose from the trough.

6. Apparatus for dispensing liquid petroleum products, comprising a frame, support means connected to the frame for supporting the frame in spaced relation to ground level, a housing disposed around said frame and having an opening adjacent one end thereof, a trough secured to the frame and extending horizontally within the housing, a delivery pipe for the liquid petroleum products being dispensed extending through the dispensing apparatus and terminating adjacent the end of the trough nearest the housing opening, a flexible dispensing hose coupled to the delivery pipe and `extending within the housing and out through the opening in said housing, the portion of the hose within the housing being disposed in a loop with the lower reach of the hose being supported in the trough, a track supported by the frame between the upper and lower reaches of the hose and parallel to the trough, a movable carriage disposed for movement on said track, a pulley sheave rotatably mounted on the movable carriage and disposed in the bight of the hose loop with the radius of the pulley sheave corresponding generally to that of the loop to place the sheave in frictional Contact with the hose, a retrieving drum rotatably carried by the frame, a torsion spring connected to the dnum and being adapted to rotate the drum, cable means interconnecting the carriage and the drum, said torsion spring exerting a force to rotate the drum and wind up the cable means to thereby retract the hose and normally maintain the carriage, pulley sheave, and hose in .a retracted position Within the housing, said carriage moving along the track against the force of the torsion spring when the hose is pulled to an extended position with the sheave rotating to pick up succeeding increments of the hose from the trough, and means disposed between the track and the carriage to maintain the hose in a predetermined extended position.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein the means to maintain the hose in a predetermined extended position comprises a pawl member carried by the carriage for selectively engaging a plurality of spaced notches associated with the track when the carriage is moved in the direction of retraction, and cam means associated with each notch, said pawl riding over the cam means for engaging the corresponding preselected notch upon slow retraction of the carriage and being deflected by the remainder of said cam means to bypass the corresponding notches upon rapid retraction of the carriage.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,017,578 McMillan Feb. 13, 1912 1,395,616 Stroberger Nov. 1, 1921 1,864,891 Coberly et al. June 28, 1932 2,504,269 Logan Apr. 18, 1950 

